


Things passed down

by teshumai



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: M/M, discussion of abuse, discussion of psychological effects of abuse, which might be incorrect because the Stiles doesn't actually know everything
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-16
Updated: 2013-08-16
Packaged: 2017-12-23 17:48:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 662
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/929343
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/teshumai/pseuds/teshumai
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Stiles always watches out for people-- for Scott, for Isaac.  It didn't occur to him he should watch out for Derek or himself.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Things passed down

**Author's Note:**

> This work is centered on abuse and psychological effects that sometimes occur, there is incorrect information and hypothesis because it from Stiles point of view and the research is old and he did as a child. 
> 
> This was written before s03e11 aired so the depiction of Scott's dad is based solely on the way Melissa Ponzio delivered the line about hoping Scott didn't think things would be better with his father around (s01e05)
> 
> Once more discussions of abuse and how it can effect it's victims are central to this work please don't read if that is something you want to avoid or you think might trigger you.

Stiles knows about behavioral reenactment. He read all about abuse and the way it affects people after he found out about Scott’s father. He knows about learned behavior and how bad things slowly become rationalized and internalized and the next thing you know you’re backhanding your wife just like daddy did. So he’s always watched out for Scott. It’s just a part of his daily routine: wake up, brush teeth, nag dad about diet, make sure Scott doesn’t become his father. It’s not a constant worry, because Scott is usually so good, usually far better than Stiles; it’s just something he checks in on from time to time. There was moment right after the bite when Stiles really worried. In the days before Scott had a handle on the wolfiness and he was violent and cruel, Stiles had been afraid that now that Scott had the power to back him up he would show himself to be the bully his father had been. But he has proven to be a million times better than Stiles had thought to hope for.

He starts watching for Isaac when it becomes clear he is going to hanging around for a while. Isaac is more concerning. Even after the initial asshat phase all new werewolves seem to go through fades Isaac is volatile—swinging erratically from overly aggressive to meek and falling back on violence and intimidation too quickly. Derek is probably not helping the situation; Stiles remembers what “training” entailed when it was Scott and doubts the curriculum has changed much. Stiles doesn’t know what to do about that. He doesn’t know Isaac well enough, doesn’t know how he was abused, what he thinks about his father or himself. He can’t say if Derek’s lessons in violence and pain are echoing or contradicting what Isaac’s father was teaching. Stiles doesn’t know if that even matters. So he just watches.

It doesn’t even cross his mind to watch for Derek, even after he learned about Kate. Logically, Stiles knows there was no way he could have seen this coming. Logically, Stiles knows that all his research was in the realm of the effects of long term violence in households and he was woefully unprepared for adult sexual trauma, even if the end result is really the same. Stiles isn’t quite ready for logical, not yet, not while he can still taste Derek. 

It doesn’t matter yet that Derek was right, in a way. Stiles had valuable information, information that was important to him for entirely selfish reasons, things he wouldn’t have wanted to share with just anyone. And yes, getting that information from Stiles had probably saved all of their lives, but he hadn’t given Stiles a choice in it either. He hadn’t told Stiles the problem and asked he had the answer. He assumed Stiles wouldn’t give it to him unless…Stiles had thought—Derek had made him think— that they were...that it was love. He’d thought—Derek had made him think—they could have the kind of relationship where they could be open, where they could be vulnerable and it would be okay. It’s just now, looking back, Stiles can see he was the only vulnerable one. 

God, he’s so stupid. Stiles knows about behavioral reenactment. He knows about symbolic repetition. He knows sometimes the victim are driven to recreate the traumatic scenario. He knows sometimes they play the opposite role. And he knows they’re almost never recognize the compulsion for what it is. It makes it worse, really, because Stiles can’t be angry, not the way he wants to be, not when there’s a little piece of him that can’t help picturing Derek here, barely any older then Stiles is, curled in corner feeling hurt and used and so fucking stupid for ever thinking someone like that could actually be interested in some naïve kid like him. There’s a little piece of him that can’t help thinking maybe Kate was here too.  
 


End file.
